Education Program

Expedition Well Wishes...

"The Arctic is a very special region, stunning it its beauty and
important scientifically, environmentally, economically and socially.
During my Arctic Arc expedition in 2007, where I walked from Siberia to
Greenland over 2000 km, I saw parts of this region very few people have
experienced. It gave me a new appreciation of our world, and the fragility
of the earth, and the polar regions in particular, especially when faced
with climate change.

The participants of Students on Ice are not only lucky to experience
this region, but are the decision makers and activists of tomorrow, and
what they will learn on this journey and take back to their families and
communities has the potential to create great change for the future. I wish
the students and teachers an incredible voyage, and I hope they won't come
away with a single appreciation of a unique region, but with a fire in
their belly to create a sustainable new future."

Alain
Hubert,
Polar Explorer and Founder, The International Polar Foundation

Our journey to the Arctic will bring together an inspiring international
team of students, educators, scientists, historians, artists, elders,
explorers, authors, leaders, innovators and polar experts. The positive energy
and synergies of group members working together are sure to create rich a
environment for learning and discovery!

Educational Philosophy

Students on Ice provides participants with unique educational experiences
that will challenge the way they perceive the world. Our aim is not to simply
provide students with a trip to a unique destination, but rather to give
students an opportunity to have an aesthetic experience in some of the most
wild and awe-inspiring ecosystems in the world. We do not want students to just
pass through a place with camera in hand, but rather, to listen to the land; to
feel these natural places, and in turn, explore how humans feel when immersed
in such places. Ultimately, we hope students will experience a transformative
connection with nature; a connection that changes the way they understand and
act in the world.

Educational Approach

Our approach to education weaves together elements of experiential,
expeditionary, inquiry-based, and place-based learning. In starting with a very
'hands-on' approach, active participation and critical thinking are important
elements in the SOI learning process. Our expeditions become personal learning
journeys and include general knowledge building, the development of a
relational understanding of the issues, opportunities and challenges facing the
Arctic of today and in the future, as well as personal reflection on how each
student might transfer this unique learning experience into his/her daily life
post-expedition. We recognize that the journey will be unique for each student
based on the life experiences that he/she brings with them to the expedition.
Furthermore, we recognize (and embrace) that expeditions have all kinds of
learning edges. For some they will be about new food, 24-hour days or being
away from home. For others the edges will be about being in the north or the
experience of living on the sea. For others the edges will be cultural,
interacting with people from other parts of the world, people with different
passions. And for others the edges will be revealed on entering the natural
world on its terms and having up close and personal encounters with the
northern plants, animals and processes of climate change. Still others will be
moved by the personal journeys and stories of fellow travelers. Subtle or
profound, these will all be totally valid outcomes of our journey. By
challenging and supporting students to step out of the “comfortable middle” to
the edges of what they know, is where the richest opportunities for learning,
big or small, will take place.

Furthermore, as SOI matures into its 13th year of polar education, and our
partnerships grow and deepen, our educational approach has evolved to better
reflect the complexities of the myriad of issues relevant to the Arctic as they
emerge in broader public discourse. We are keen to create a unique and personal
learning experience for students in which they can critically explore and
develop more comprehensive perspectives on how environmental, economic and
socio-cultural dimensions of today’s Arctic are relationally connected.
Students must have opportunities to question and connect the dots. It is the
collective task of the SOI education team members to help students connect
these dots in a way that is personal and meaningful for each student.

Educational Format

The collective aim of SOI’s education team is to make the learning that
takes place on the expedition accessible, palpable, and critically relevant to
the students. We want the students to be able to take this ‘personal knowledge’
gained on expedition – lessons learned in a context that is rich with the
tastes, smells, feelings, images, sensations and emotions of first hand
experience—and to transfer and apply it to their everyday lives in their
respective home communities, despite the geographical, sociocultural, and
socioeconomic diversity representative in our students. It is our hope that
each student’s SOI expedition experience will serve as a transformative
catalyst to drive what they do, how they behave, and the decisions they make
about future engagement as global citizens.

2013 Educational Themes

The theme for this summer’s expedition is the “Changing
Arctic.” As we are all well aware, the changes to/in the Arctic
are influencing all dimensions of life including ecological, socio-cultural,
economic, and geo-political. With Canada’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council
poised to begin and the implementation of Canada’s Northern Strategy, this is a
critically important time in the Arctic. Embodied within our theme—the
‘Changing Arctic’— are six central and interconnected pillars.

These pillars include:

(1) Arctic culture & social dimensions;

(2) the history of the North, including the 1913
Canadian Arctic Expedition;

(3) global climate change & environmental
sustainability;

(4) entrepreneurship & economic
development;

(5) role of youth; and

(6) policy & leadership.

Educational Goals

The expedition’s education program has five main goals:

CONNECT to the natural world.

FOSTER a new understanding and respect for the
planet.

LEARN about the Arctic environment and northern
cultures

DISCOVER solutions to our most pressing
challenges.

INSPIRE each other to make a difference.

Educational Objectives

Participating in a world-class interdisciplinary education program, students
will develop the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices needed to be
polar ambassadors, community builders and environmentally responsible
citizens.

Environmental Issues, Solutions and Leadership

...environment understood in the broadest sense of the word, where the
planet is regarded as a global ecosystem in which all natural and human created
systems are interconnected; issues such as climate change, conservation,
biodiversity, energy, population growth, consumption, resource depletion,
cultural change, adaptation and resiliency; dependency of social and economic
systems on natural systems; the importance of environmental factors to human
well-being; and locally-relevant sustainable living practices. Consideration
will also be given to contemporary social, economical and geopolitical issues
ranging from health and wellness, and quality of life, to community design,
financial systems, sovereignty and international law.

Students will begin to REFLECT on expedition experiences and TRANSLATE these
experiences in ways that are personally relevant to home life and future
aspirations.

Students will be supported in planning next steps and making decisions.

Students will TAKE ACTION!

Educational Phases

The expedition’s education program has three main phases:

Phase 1) Before Expedition

A pre-expedition preparatory program designed to help get students into an
Arctic mindset is available in the Resource section of this website. This
program is not mandatory, but is available to provide background information to
interested students.

Prior to the expedition, students are also encouraged to do as much reading
and research as possible. This site has some excellent resources
to help get students started, as well as a suggested reading list. Be sure to
check out many of the web-links listed on this site and the stories,
announcements and links posted to SOI's Blog. Begin familiarizing yourself with
the many issues facing the Arctic.

Students are encouraged to prepare a list of questions that are of interest
to them in their personal expedition journal.

Journal Questions

Students on Ice encourages students to answer the following questions BEFORE
their arrival to Ottawa:

1) What does this expedition
mean to you?

2) What does the Arctic mean to
you?

3) What are you most excited to
learn about or experience?

Journal Task

In the personal journal that we have asked you to bring, reflect on the
expedition themes, goals, objective and questions we have offered to you. Be
prepared to share your ideas with other participants upon arriving in
Iqaluit!

Phase 2) On Expedition

During the expedition there will be many different activities each day
including:

Visits to various Arctic communities and interaction with community
members

Landings, hikes and Zodiac cruises

Presentations

Workshops and hands-on activities

Participation in on-going scientific research with education team
members

Opportunities for personal reflection through group discussions,
artistic expression, personal journal keeping and other means

Whale, Polar Bear, Seabird, Walrus, Seal and Iceberg spotting

The Students on Ice Education Team will be eager to interact with,
interpret, excite and mentor students throughout each day. Take advantage! A
one-on-one conversation during meal time can be equally or more informative
than attending a presentation or workshop on a topic of interest.

Over the course of the entire expedition students will create personal
knowledge and develop as leaders. They will explore how youth are effective
agents of change and how their efforts can contribute to positive societal
action. They will consider opportunities to establish sustainable livelihoods
and make ecologically-informed choices early in their lives. Students will also
explore how the choices they make can have a ripple effect and the actions they
take can make a difference.

Phase 3) Conclusion of Expedition

A youth forum will conclude the expedition's education program. This will be
an opportunity for us to explore our ideas and address many of the important
issues we have learned about facing our communities, the Arctic and the planet.
It will be an opportunity to generate ideas, solutions and recommendations for
action and change.

SOI will facilitate group discussions on ways to get involved in youth-based
environmental, economical and social initiatives, scientific research, and
other work upon returning home.

Phase 4) Post-Expedition

After our final celebration and fond farewells, participants will become
members of a growing international community of past expedition participants.
Students on Ice Alumni are global citizens that are known for their positive
leadership, caring approach, developing creative solutions and making choices
for a sustainable future.

The Polar Ambassador Pledge is a commitment that students and staff are
invited to make to each other on all SOI expeditions. The promise is that
participants make changes in the way they live and act in the world. Part of
this means sharing the experience of visiting a polar region. The other
critical part of this commitment is to reduce our impact on the planet by
changing things at home, at school, in our communities and countries. This
initiative was designed to be personally relevant for each student and be a
bridge between the expedition experience and the actions students can take when
they return home. The SOI Polar Ambassador Program provides a framework for
goal setting and benchmarks the students to work to meet. One of these is for
all students to give presentations about their new experiences and knowledge to
their schools, sponsors and other community groups. This has proven to be a
great way for the students to process their expedition thoughts, ideas and
experiences.

SOI Alumni form an incredible network of people who have shared unique,
awe-inspiring experiences in the polar regions. They are making a difference at
all levels and in all sectors of society around the world.